Whilst it is a fact that the St Francis Xavier Exposition and IFFI simultaneously strained our police force, it is also a fact that crimes have increased by leaps and bounds whilst prevention and detection clearly show that the force is not adequately trained or equipped to handle even daylight robberies and theft. Continuous duty, shortage of staff, tourism-related ills leave the citizens whose safety is their prime responsibility, at the mercy of dacoits and robbers! We should be considering quality first and quantity required second as excuse.
Consider the recent Bicholim police action on 7th Dec night chasing a car that sped away from a petrol pump without paying for filling up! It is reported that 2 PCR vans and a police jeep after a hot chase for around 20 Kms managed to close in on the culprits on either side of a bridge. They alighted to nab the culprits who reportedly rammed their vehicles clearing a way to mount the kerb and speed through. In the process one of their tyres burst and the culprits continued on the rim of the damaged wheel at high speed for around 8 Km to abandon the car and escape!
Instead of being pulled up, I am surprised to find the IGP is reportedly not only congratulating them his staff for doing their job unsuccessfully and unprofessionally letting them escape from their grasp, but rewarding 12 cops and one home guard with Rs 19,000 cash!
The DGP admits to corruption in the force, and it appears like the Uber Taxi drivers, we are recruiting dubious police candidates with short training to close the shortages in quantity. Maybe they did not have pistols/guns or were short of bullets? In these days of terrorists attacks our police must be well recruited, equipped and trained. Why is it we generally need a reward for just doing our duty never aiming for high standards and even excellence in whatever we do?
John Eric Gomes, Porvorim
Mopa Airport
If one goes through geography one will understand the total area of Goa in terms of square meters is that of one district of Kerala or Maharashtra, then why does such a small state like Goa require Mopa International airport? Is it for the benefit of Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra as stated by the former CM Minister Manohar Parrikar and now defence minister in his election rally during the Maharashtra Assembly Elections.
Parrikar can initiate a process of evacuating the Navy to Mopa or Karwar and then the existing Dabolim Airport can be modified and used for civilian purpose for landing of aircrafts.
If the Navy is not shifted to Mopa then the existing land can be utilised to accommodate IT industries so that a large army of unemployed youth in Goa can get gainful employment and the Goan youth can stop migrating to the Gulf and European countries for rich pastures.
Diomedes Pereira, Corlim
Goa inching towards merger?
The Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party was baptised to merge Goa with Maharashtra by the first chief minister of Goa Dayanand Balkrishna Bandodkar but it was rejected by Goans. But I cannot understand as to why they wanted to merge Goa with Maharashtra, because if Goa was merged with Maharashtra, now ministers in Goa would not even be peons in Panchayat.
Recently Goa’s former chief minister and present defence minister Manohar Parrikar while campaigning in Sindhudurg for the Maharashtra assembly elections said that the Mopa airport would be useful to them. Secondly while taking oath ceremony for formation of the new ministry most of the ministers took their oath in Marathi which is the language of Maharashtra.
The verdict of the Opinion Poll of 1967 was not temporary but permanent. After the exit of Manohar Parrikar, we have the weakest government in Goa as Parrikar was in control of the entire ministry and to prove this one could see in the assembly sessions that Manohar Parrikar would answer all the questions put to the respective ministers. Therefore any attempts to revive the merger issue would end in bloodbath.
Inacio Fernandes, Candolim
CCTV for beach shacks
I regard the current requirement for shacks to install CCTV as a total waste of limited resources and a further attack on beach shack owners. These owners are the most visible sign of enterpreneurism in Goa and the front for the friendly welcome given to visitors to Goa. They have had to deal with problems with issue of licences, obtaining electricity and water, beach bed controls, obtaining NOCs etc etc.
The cost of each installation is about Rs 25,000 lakh. Total to be invested is over Rs ten crore. This will cause the demise of many shacks already suffering from a very bad year for tourism. Two questions for those responsible for this initiative:(a) Do you think miscreants are likely to carry out their transactions inside the shack where CCTV cameras are visible? (b) Would it not be better to instruct the police to seek criminal activity first hand than spend time looking for CCTV systems? Perhaps the police should install CCTV cameras in areas of specific problems?
Christopher Fogg, Velsao
